The Calm Before the Storm
by Darkest Desire
Summary: As the rest of Rohan celebrates their victory, Legolas and Éomer find unexpected comfort in each other’s arms. LegolasÉomer SLASH
1. Drown Out My Sorrows

Summary: As the rest of Rohan celebrates their victory, Legolas and Éomer find unexpected comfort in each other's arms. Legolas/Éomer SLASH

Disclaimer: As I'm sure you all know, I am not JRR Tolkien (after all, he is dead) and therefore do not own the rights to any of the characters, places, etc. depicted in the following story. It's sad, but true.

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**CHAPTER ONE: DROWN OUT MY SORROWS**

**-Rohan, After the victory at Helm's Deep, Celebration at Edoras-**

Despite the many lives that had been lost at the hands of Sarumon's army, it was a time for celebration. Although many battles lie ahead and the threat of Sauron had yet to be vanquished, the battle at Helm's Deep had gone better than they could have hoped for and the ruin of Orthanc at the hands--or rather branches--of the ents, along with two most unlikely hobbits, was good news indeed.

The two victories were cause for rejoice, no matter what was in store. It was a time to simply enjoy being alive and for only one night forget your grief and fear. Alcohol helped greatly in this regard and was constantly flowing as the survivors attempted to drown out their sorrows. It was working for the most part.

Everywhere you looked there was song and drink and the sound of gay laughter, though it was hard to tell if it was forced. Merry and Pippen seemed to be having a swell time as they danced atop the main table at the center of the hall, singing a drinking song they had apparently learned at a pub near their homes. Although they kicked many a mug full of ale off the table and onto an unsuspecting onlooker's lap, people seemed to be enjoying their display and clapped merrily when the two hobbits finished with a clink of their mugs and a gulp of what was contained within.

The twinkle in Gandalf's eyes had returned, though it seemed somewhat sad somehow, almost bittersweet. He was conversing quietly with Aragorn as the party went on around them and seemed to cheer up a bit at something the aptly named Estel said.

Gimli too seemed to be in good spirits as he drank heartily and spilled quite a bit of ale on his course beard. At any other time he would have cursed himself gruffly in the Dwarfish tongue for such an action, but at the moment he was enjoying himself too much to care. He sang loudly and slightly off key with the men of Rohan to any song that he knew--and some that he did not--as he reveled in the victory they had achieved against such overwhelming odds.

Legolas was there as well, celebrating, in appearance if nothing else. He smiled and drank and sang, yet his heart seemed not to be in it. His smile was forced, his drink barely touched, and the sound of his fair voice faltered at odd intervals. Although he wished to partake in the festivities, he could not seem to put aside his grief as easily as the rest, and his mind kept returning to those who could not be here with them tonight.

Many elves had fallen, and although their numbers were far less than the count of felled men, they had a far greater impact on the Mirkwood Prince. Not only could he relate to them more easily because they were his kindred, but many of them he had met and become acquainted with during the month the fellowship had spent in Lothlorien. While the others had kept mostly to themselves, Legolas had spent much of his time with the elves of the golden wood, glad to be among his kin once more after their long travel and great hardships.

But it wasn't only that he knew them better or had a greater connection to them because he was one of them. There were too few elves left as it were. And then there was the fact that the first born fallen on the battlefield had died much before their time. They would never get the chance to hear the call of the sea and to sail to the undying lands. Instead, they were stuck forever in the Halls of Mandos. No one, save perhaps Gandalf and Aragorn, would understand, and so Legolas kept his thoughts to himself. He did not wish to burden either of his friends with his troubles at this time.

Eventually, his facade became too much to uphold, though, and he could no longer stand in the center of the ongoing celebrations as his heart was filled with grief for his fallen comrades. Smiling, so as not to worry anyone, he quickly made his way to the front of the hall and out the impressive double doors which served as its entrance. Looking around, he quickly confirmed that there was no one around before letting his mask of happiness drop. It's not that he wasn't happy--their victory had been a wonderful achievement--but, rather, that it was too soon for him to feel much like celebrating.

Taking a deep, calming breath of the cool night air, Legolas let the peace and quiet of the Rohirrim fields wash over him. He let the breeze play with his hair for a few moments, gently whipping silky blond strands about his face, as he stood upon the raised shelf that stood at the forefront of the golden hall and looked out over the rolling hills of the surrounding land. Soon, he began to pace, an action unbecoming of an elf, and a prince no less, but one that had always eased his mind when it was troubled.

Eventually he tired of the monotonous action and found himself walking to the far end of the shelf on the left side and sitting down upon it to let his feet dangle over the edge. It was a good ways down to the ground, yet being an elf the height did not bother him. He sat there morosely as the party continued on without him inside. He was aware of the passage of time and yet did not know exactly how many minutes had gone by.

After what seemed like hours, though was probably no more than thirty minutes or so, the sound of the great oak doors of the hall and the subsequent noise of approaching footsteps alerted Legolas to the fact that his solitude had been disturbed. He hoped that the man--he could tell from the heavy footfalls--was only out here for a breath of fresh air and would not bother to come over to him. Hopefully whoever it was would leave soon and let Legolas return to his inner torment.

But the man did not leave. Instead, he stepped closer, the sound of his steps drifting to Legolas's ears in halting succession, as if the 'intruder' was unsure if they should approach Legolas's silent visage. When the man was only about ten feet behind him, Legolas turned around, wondering who it could be. It was Éomer.

"Mind if I join you?" the third marshal of the mark questioned the lone elf. Legolas almost wish he could say yes, that he very much did mind, but protocol would not allow him to do so and he suddenly found himself feeling very much alone sitting out here in the dark; perhaps Éomer's company would be welcome after all.

"I do not mind, though you may find my company dull in comparison to the festivities taking place inside your golden hall," Legolas spoke, attempting to sound more light-hearted than he felt. He forced a smile for the man, before turning back around and gazing at the sky full of stars as Éomer sat himself down beside him.

"I doubt that your company could ever be considered dull, my elven friend, no matter what you chose to compare it to. But, alas, it is the festivities that have driven me out here in search of the peace and solitude which I could not hope to find inside," Éomer responded warmly, returning the smile Legolas had given him and joining him in gazing at the stars.

They sat there for a few minutes in companionable silence before Legolas decided to speak again. "The stars are beautiful tonight, are they not? Yet, they do not seem to shine as brightly as I remember," he said in a melancholic, almost wistful, tone. He did not turn to Éomer as he spoke, keeping his eyes on the sky, not wanting to see the reaction on the man's face to his words.

Éomer watched the enigmatic elf for a minute as he formulated a proper response to Legolas's meaningful words. "Perhaps their spirit is dimmed due to the men and elves lost in the fight against the encroaching darkness," he finally spoke, his eyes still on the elf, watching him for his response to the answering words.

Legolas let out a small, heartfelt sigh. "They would not be alone in that," the elf replied softly, almost to himself, before finally turning his face toward Éomer and looking him straight in the eye. "Your people fought bravely, Éomer. They should be proud of their victory within the Deepling walls," he continued, giving Éomer a real, albeit sad, smile.

Éomer returned it, taking note of the tears that glistened in Legolas's eyes despite the elf's best efforts to hide them. "My people fought bravely, yes, but they did not fight alone. They were given hope and renewed courage by the party of elves sent to fight along their side," Éomer spoke truthfully in reply, hoping his words would bring some small amount of comfort to the obviously grieving elf.

"It was Aragorn that brought them hope...Estel..." the elf responded with a slight smile, seeming to be a bit relieved by Éomer's kind sentiments. A lone tear still managed to escape, though, slipping down his cheek in silent testament to his despair. He let it fall freely; his fallen comrades disserved at least one tear.

Éomer turned his head away in respect, letting his gaze drift back up to the stars, knowing that the prideful prince would not wish to be seen crying, no matter the circumstance. He could feel tears pricking at his own eyes as he dwelled on the many lives that had been lost. He had known some of those men all of his life...and now they were gone forever.

His heart constricted with sorrow and he felt the sudden need for a good, strong drink. He had an aged bottle of whiskey sent all the way from Gondor stashed up in his chambers that should do the trick. Perhaps Legolas would like some too; Éomer was fairly certain that elves drank whiskey, however out of character it seemed. "Perhaps you would like to join me in drowning my sorrows. I have a strong bottle of whisky I keep in my chambers that I would be willing to share," Éomer offered, turning towards the elf on his right.

Legolas seemed slightly startled by the offer at first, and it took him a few moments to make up his mind on whether or not he wished to partake in such an uncouth practice. Eventually his sorrow won out over his sense. "At the moment, that is something that I find myself unable to refuse," Legolas accepted somewhat reluctantly.

They smiled at each other somewhat awkwardly then before standing at the same time and dusting themselves off. Legolas followed half a pace behind as Éomer unhurriedly led the way to his rooms not too far away. They walked together in silence, enjoying each other's company despite the fact that no words were spoken between them.

They soon arrived at the door to Éomer's chambers and halted for a moment outside of it as Éomer searched for his key. He quickly found it and unlocked the door with a barely audible click before leading Legolas inside, making sure to grab a torch from the hallway before entering.

He easily lit a fire in the grand, stone fireplace in his sitting room, then replaced the torch to its place in the hall before coming back into his room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He made his way silently to a bureau across the room from the fireplace and withdrew a good sized bottle a little over halfway full with a rich amber liquid and two short, stocky glasses before crossing back towards the fireplace and taking a seat in the nearest armchair as Legolas sat down in the identical one opposite of him.

Setting the glasses on a small end table between his and Legolas's chair, Éomer proceeded to open the bottle of whiskey and poor some into each of the glasses, filling them up until they were a good two thirds of the way full. He handed Legolas a glass and took the other for himself. They sat in silence as they drank the strong alcohol, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

They downed the whiskey slowly at first, getting used to the path of fire it burned down their throats and into their stomachs. Before long, though, they were drinking it like it was water, reveling in the numbness it caused on its way down.

It didn't take to long for them to start feeling the effects as they drank glass after glass of the intoxicant. Their thoughts became fuzzy and their troubles were soon forgotten. Now officially drunk, Legolas began to laugh uncontrollably at nothing in particular and Éomer had soon joined him though he had no idea what it was they were laughing at.

Once their laughter had finally subsided, they glanced at each other, sharing the large, languid grins that only the drunk or foolish can successfully pull off. Éomer was suddenly hit by how beautiful Legolas's hair looked in the light of the fireplace, though really it looked beautiful in any light, he had to admit. He had the sudden urge to touch it; it looked so soft and silky.

Standing up slowly, using the chair for support, he slowly made his way around to the back of Legolas's chair, swaying only a little as he did so. "Can I pet you?" he asked somewhat stupidly, causing Legolas to break out in a very unelvish fit of giggles. He managed to nod his head in the affirmative through his mirth, though, and Éomer took the opportunity to run his hands through Legolas's golden locks.

As the man ran his fingers through the long strands of hair, Legolas turned his head up, leaning back against the chair, so that he could see Éomer. His position caused Éomer to be upside down when he came into view and Legolas laughed again, finding the fact indescribably humorous. "You're upside down," he managed to explain to Éomer through his peals of laughter as the man grinned drunkenly down at him.

"You should laugh more," Éomer commented idly, his inhibitions overridden by the affects of the alcohol, "You look beautiful when you laugh." He continued to pet Legolas's hair as he spoke, the strands feeling every bit as nice running through his fingers as he'd imagined.

"Do you like me?" Legolas spoke up suddenly, sounding young and innocent despite his years and all he had been through. He suddenly turned around in his chair, facing Éomer as he sat up with his knees on the cushioned chair bottom and his hands wrapped around the arched back.

Éomer let his gaze trail over the elf's fine features, taking in his small, straight nose, bright cerulean eyes, flawless, porcelain skin, and flowing blonde hair that ran over his shoulders and cascaded halfway down his back. He idly caressed one of Legolas's fine boned cheeks, the elf leaning into the touch, as he responded truthfully, "I find myself undeniably attracted to you, Legolas."

The elf seemed pleased by the answer. His face broke into a large, ecstatic grin, and his eyes became alight with happiness. "Good, because I didn't want this to be one-sided," he confessed blissfully. Hearing this, Éomer couldn't resist the temptation to kiss the elf and saw no need to.

Leaning down slightly, he caught the fey creatures' lips with his own and was pleased when he felt Legolas respond in kind to his affections. He couldn't help but smile into the kiss and they broke apart for a moment, looking into each other's eyes and smiling with pure, unadulterated joy, before resuming with their activity.

The kiss became more and more heated as tongues soon became entangled in it, fighting for dominance. They were once again forced to break apart due to their need of oxygen and Legolas took the opportunity to remove himself from his chair, which was hindering him in his ministrations.

It soon became apparent that there were far too many pieces of clothing separating them from one another and belts, tunics, breeches, and leggings were hastily and clumsily removed as Éomer slowly led his partner into his bedroom and, subsequently, his bed.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: I've been planning on writing an Éomer/Legolas for quite some time now, since I feel that there are far too few of them out there and I absolutely love the pairing. I was at first planning to make this a bit longer and simply leave it as a one-shot, but I think it's going to work out better as a multi-chaptered fic. There probably won't be that many chapters and I don't know when I'll be able to write the next installment; it might be a while. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. ;) 

Btw: If you noticed any technical errors, please let me know. I based the fic off of what I remember from the movie and I'm not entirely sure it is correct.


	2. What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You

Summary: As the rest of Rohan celebrates their victory, Legolas and Éomer find unexpected comfort in each other's arms. Legolas/Éomer SLASH

Disclaimer: As I'm sure you all know, I am not JRR Tolkien (after all, he is dead) and therefore do not own the rights to any of the characters, places, etc. depicted in the following story. It's sad, but true.

**CHAPTER TWO: WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN'T HURT YOU**

Dawn broke the next morning bright and early with a beautiful light pink sunrise and the chirping of the many birds native to Rohan. It was chill, though the sun shone brightly, and quiet, besides the sound of the birds of course. It would seem that the activities of the night before, which had carried on a ways into this very morning, had made everyone quite eager to sleep in. The alcohol that many had consumed in celebration might have added to their desire to stay in bed until it was absolutely necessary that they awaken.

The sun had already risen a quarter of the way to its zenith when it came streaming into Éomer's bedroom windows through the thick, velvet curtains, waking Legolas up in the process as it shone into his eyes, glazed over in sleep. He awoke with a start, momentarily confused by the unfamiliar site around him. Then he noticed the arm draped across his bare waist.

His eyes widened as he realized what must have happened. The last thing that he could actually recall was him and Éomer sharing a bottle of whiskey and acting like drunken fools. Oh, Valar! What had he done?

Not that he really needed that question answered; it was quite apparent what had ended up happening. It was then that he resolved to never drink hard liquor again. Ever. Not that that would help him any in his current predicament.

What should he do? Should he wake Éomer and…and what? He was certain that Éomer would be absolutely mortified if he were to awaken to a male as his bed partner, a male Elf none the less. He knew how Edain(1) viewed such things. It would be better if Éomer remained oblivious to what had transpired.

With that thought in mind, Legolas slowly lifted Éomer's arm from its position across him and set it gently down in the place he had formerly occupied as he crept carefully off the luxurious bed. He sighed in relief as he noticed that the action had only caused Éomer to stir slightly in his sleep and reposition himself on the bed. Now all he had to do was find his clothes and sneak out of Éomer's chambers without being caught. Easier said than done.

His clothes were strewn haphazardly about both the sitting room and bedroom of the chamber, causing Legolas to have to hunt them down to where they had been carelessly discarded in his and Éomer's apparent haste the night before. Or perhaps it had only been early this morning. Not that it mattered.

He quickly donned his disheveled attire, making a vain attempt to make himself at least somewhat presentable. He found a horsehair brush on a dresser and used it to smooth the tangles out of his blonde locks before deftly rebraiding them with practiced ease. His tunic was hopelessly wrinkled, though he tried to straighten it out as best as he could. Hopefully he would not run into anyone as he walked the hallways on route to his room, which just so happened to be at about the furthest away possible from Éomer's. Just his luck.

Coming to the conclusion that delaying his departure any longer would only make it more likely that he would be caught, Legolas took one last glance at Éomer sleeping peacefully in his bed before quietly making his exit.

He made it about a third of the way to his quarters before he came across anyone. It was a servant woman who bowed politely as he passed; he tried to appear as composed and serene as usual, though he wasn't sure if he actually succeeded at it. He hoped she had not noticed anything unusual about him, although he was fairly certain she hadn't and would not say anything concerning it even if she had.

He was almost to the safety of his room, where he could change and hopefully make it appear as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, when he came across one of the last people he wished to see at that particular moment.

"Gimli," Legolas spoke somewhat awkwardly, uncomfortable with the situation he had inadvertently placed himself in and desperately hoping that Gimli wouldn't put him on the spot by asking him any of the many questions he had no answer to as of yet. "What are you doing out and about so early on this particular morning?" he asked, praying to the Valar that it would steer Gimli away from whatever unfortunate topic he most certainly had in mind.

Gimli studied Legolas for a moment before answering, almost as if he was trying to figure out the elf in front of him before eventually shaking his head slightly in consternation as if to say that he would never figure out his enigmatic friend. "For your information, Master Elf, I was on my way to see if you were ready to break your fast yet this morning. Here I thought I had finally managed to rise before you for once. What have you been up to thus far?" the dwarf countered Legolas, asking one of the only questions that the elf had managed to formulate a suitable response to.

"I was merely taking a walk. I would have seen if you wished to join me, but I was unsure whether I should bother you at this time after the festivities of last night," Legolas responded placidly, feeling rather proud of himself for pulling off this half-truth. After all, he _had_ been waling, and-if he had thought of it-he would have decided not to bother Gimli yet…so, it wasn't _exactly_ a lie.

"Speaking of last night…" Gimli began, pausing as if to work out the best way in which to phrase what he was going to say next. "Well, I noticed that you left fairly early on. Did you retire to your chambers?" Gimli asked cautiously, not wanting to offend his sometimes haughty (for an elf) friend.

Legolas let out a small coughing noise, covering up his discomfort by pretending that he was simply clearing his throat before speaking. "I went out to the portico for a short while, then left," Legolas replied, in an attempt to avoid answering the question Gimli was really asking. He could only pray that Gimli would not persist in his line of questioning.

The dwarf seemed not to hear his silent prayers. "Did you have any company on your walk?" Legolas silently cursed his friend.

"Éomer joined me outside and we talked for a short while before I retired," Legolas added to his earlier statement, hoping it would satisfy Gimli's curiosity.

"Éomer? I suppose he has amended his initial opinion of you then? I believe his rooms are in the direction you have just come from…shall we ask if he wishes to break his fast with us?" Gimli inserted innocently, or at least as innocently as was possible for him. Legolas could see a slight smirk showing through his rather bushy beard. The dwarf was obviously rather pleased with himself and seemed to have figured out at least part of Legolas's secret. Insufferable dwarf.

"I would not wish to disturb Éomer's no doubt much needed sleep," Legolas responded with an undertone of trepidation, which he hoped was not obvious to his dwarvin friend. He was eager to persuade Gimli that it would not be the best of ideas for Éomer to join them. He really didn't want to have to deal with seeing the man right now. Or any time soon for that matter.

"Yes, I suppose you are right, my friend. We'll just head down to the dining hall ourselves then, shall we?" Gimli decided, starting to walk down the hallway, obviously expecting Legolas to follow.

"Hold on, Gimli. I would like to freshen up before heading down to breakfast. And perhaps we should ask Aragorn, Gandalf, Merry, and Pippen to join us?" Legolas questioned. "I am sure Merry and Pippen would not wish to miss a meal," he added, a slight twinkle in his cerulean eyes. He still needed to change his tunic at the very least before heading down. Even if Gimli did not notice that he was wearing the same one as last night, he was certain others would.

"Aragorn and Gandalf were planning to meet with King Théoden this morn to discuss the next move we are to take. Merry and Pippen, as you said, never pass up the chance for a good meal; I passed them on their way downstairs while making my way here. If you want to freshen up, I would be willing to wait here or meet you in the hall," Gimli informed Legolas, pausing in the middle of the hallway to await the Elf's response.

"Go ahead, Gimli. I will be there shortly," Legolas replied, uncertain of how long it would take him to get prepared and wanting to be alone with his thoughts at this time, though he did not wish to tell Gimli of that desire.

Gimli nodded gruffly in answer to Legolas's suggestion, then turned around and headed on down the hall. Legolas watched him for a moment before turning toward his room and opening the door. Once inside, he closed the door gently and leaned heavily against its wooden frame. Letting out a slight sigh, he quickly collected himself and, taking a deep breathe, headed to the armor where his few pairs of traveling clothes and some slightly more formal attire that had been provided to him by the King were hung up or lay folded neatly within the drawers.

Opening the topmost drawer, he easily spotted an off-white tunic he had brought with him, along with a pair of leggings in a near forest green color. Changing out of his clothes from the previous eve, he quickly donned the outfit he had selected and finished by fixing his silver clasped, leather belt around his waist and his worn, leather boots upon his feet. Fairly confident in the fact that he now looked presentable and not as if he had just woken from a long night of partying and haphazardly thrown on any old thing he could find, Legolas exited his chambers, ready to join his friends down in the dining hall.

Walking along the corridor, he couldn't help but notice the bright, sunlit sky that shown stunningly blue outside. Birds chirped merrily, a joyous sound that lightened Legolas's mood immediately. It truly was a beautiful day.

Turning a corner, Legolas paused as he spotted Éomer approaching from the other side. Just what he needed. He would have turned around and hidden himself until Éomer had descended the stairs, no matter how out of character it was for him, but for the fact that the man had already noticed his presence, therefore making it too late to flee. So he kept walking. Really, he had no choice. Unfortunately, this meant that he ended up reaching the staircase at the same moment as Éomer, an uncomfortable situation--and one that he had wished to avoid--to say the least.

"Good morning, Prince Legolas," Éomer spoke in a friendly enough manner, giving Legolas a tight-lipped smile, which momentarily confused the Elf. Did the man know? Did he truly not remember, or was he just pretending not to? Or was he merely acting as if nothing had happened because that was the way they were expected to act, the way they should act?

Legolas found that he did not have the answer to any of these questions, so he merely wished Éomer a "Pleasant morn," and graced him with a slight nod and smile in greeting. He was uncomfortable, but maybe if he just went on pretending that nothing out of the ordinary had transpired last night, then everything would be alright.

They walked down the staircase in silence for a moment. It couldn't exactly be described as a friendly silence, but it was by no means hostile. It was more...anticipatory. Finally Éomer broke the awkwardness of it. "Legolas, I am afraid I was not the best host last night. I have heard of the serene and placid behavior of the Elves, and my own conduct must have seemed horridly barbaric compared to what you are used to. Rarely do I consume so much alcohol that I find myself passing out and I am afraid that I did so in your excellent company. For that I apologize," Éomer confided sincerely, bowing his head slightly to Legolas.

Legolas couldn't help but be slightly bewildered. Did Éomer not remember what had transpired between them, instead merely thinking that he had passed out during the lapse in his memory? If so, then Legolas was by no means about to correct him. "You have no need to apologize, Éomer. My own behavior was far from proper and you did nothing to warrant indignation on my part." It was far better this way, with Éomer not knowing. This is the way he had hoped for it to be after all. And yet...he felt oddly offended by the realization that Éomer most probably remembered nothing of their night together. Legolas himself admittedly did not really remember, though he _did _know what had taken place.

It was all just so confusing. Legolas just wished that it had never happened, or that he could erase all memory of it from his mind. He kept casting surreptitious glances at Éomer, trying to decipher whether the man was acting or not. Legolas had always considered himself fairly adept at reading people, but for the life of him, he could not figure out what was going through the man's head. Perhaps it was because his own thoughts on the subject were so muddled.

They continued at a steady pace to the dining hall, neither speaking up again, but sharing a companionable silence as they walked together, both lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the dining hall, they greeted those already there before parting to sit at opposite sides of the large banquet table. Little did either of them know that the same thought plaguing their own mind was also going through the mind of the other: "How much does he know, and should I bother reminding him of the rest?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note: Okay, the chapter is complete although I am not completely satisfied with it. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this fic; it seems to have a mind of its own. I guess what happens in the next chapter will be a surprise for us all. Thanks to all who reviewed; I really do appreciate it and hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Translations:

1) Edain - men


End file.
